Cecil Beaton: ‘Staging Icons’ Exhibition at Harewood House

About

image: Julie Andrews by Cecil Beaton, 1959 © Cecil Beaton Archive. Conde Nast

13 June to 4 October 2026

Harewood House Trust presents Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons, a major exhibition dedicated to the work of photographer Cecil Beaton. Organised by the National Portrait Gallery in partnership with Harewood House Trust, the exhibition features more than 50 photographs from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection, including several works shown to the public for the first time.

About the Exhibition

Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons explores Beaton’s influential approach to portrait photography, highlighting his use of theatrical staging, costume, lighting and composition. His portraits helped shape the public image of some of the most recognisable figures of the 20th century.

Visitors can expect portraits of notable sitters including:

Audrey Hepburn
Marilyn Monroe
Fred Astaire
Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Margaret
Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

Cecil Beaton and the Art of Performance

Beaton’s interest in theatre had a lasting influence on his photographic style. Through elaborate backdrops, props, costume and dramatic lighting, he created portraits that blended reality with performance.

The exhibition also considers Beaton’s wider creative work in stage and costume design, including his contributions to opera, ballet, theatre and film.

Royal Portraiture and Public Image

Appointed royal photographer in 1939, Beaton created portraits that brought a new visual language to images of the British Royal Family. His work combined elegance, control and theatrical detail, producing images that were both formal and intimate.

Harewood’s Connection to Cecil Beaton

Staging Icons also highlights Harewood’s links to Beaton and the world of stage and screen. The exhibition includes portraits, artworks and archival material from the Harewood collection.

Beaton photographed members of the Lascelles family and visited Harewood during the 1960s and early 1970s. Items on display include Harewood’s historic visitor book featuring Beaton’s signature, alongside a Christmas card with a hand-drawn costume design.

A National Portrait Gallery Partnership

This exhibition marks the first collaboration between the National Portrait Gallery and Harewood House Trust. Displayed throughout Harewood’s State Floor interiors, the photographs are presented alongside Harewood’s own collection of British portraiture.

The exhibition also sits within Harewood’s wider work to expand and reinterpret its historic portrait collection, including recent commissions such as Ashley Karrell’s photographic portrait of British actor David Harewood.

Event Details

Event: Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons
Dates: 13 June to 4 October 2026
Location: Harewood House, Yorkshire
Organised by: National Portrait Gallery in partnership with Harewood House Trust

Admission: From £22.50 for adults, from £10.00 for children when you book online 24 hours in advance. Concessions available. £3 tickets are available for those in receipt of universal credit, pension credit, DLA and PIP. Free for Harewood members and under 4s. Book online and save.

For more information, visit: https://harewood.org/events/cecil-beaton-staging-icons/